Using Data to Infer Your Customers’ Needs
Ah, the golden days of yesteryear’s television programming. A villain did something bad to someone. A variety of challenging situations ensued, typically involving life-threatening danger for either the Lone Ranger or Tonto. But, by the end of the program, we could be confident that Tonto and his trusted Kemo Sabe, the Lone Ranger, would save the day.
As the Lone Ranger and Tonto rode triumphantly into the sunset, someone would ask in a voice filled with wonder, “Who was that masked man, anyway?” And we all knew who he was—the Lone Ranger! But we didn’t know who he was. We didn’t know his real name. We didn’t know his postal address. Nor did we know his email, phone, IP address or other device ID, or anything else. His identity, for all intents and purposes, remained purely anonymous.
And yet, through his daring exploits over time, viewers came to know that masked man. Horse owner. Gun owner. Dedicated to helping victims. Eager to bring the bad guys to justice. And we could infer some things, such as being unmarried because, during the show’s airing, no reference was made to a spouse. So we knew quite a bit about the masked man through various interactions with him.
It’s very similar for businesses that know bits and pieces about us via their different interactions with us. They may not be able to assemble a detailed, holistic, complete profile, but even with limited bits of information, they can know their customers. This translates to meaningful improvements in marketing and customer service.
The night before an early-morning flight, I called a cab company from my mobile phone. I’ve called them before for service. The person who answered asked me, “What time will you be needing a taxi?” After I answered, she immediately asked, “And will you be being picked up from address beginning with 2241?” Bingo. I hadn’t provided them my name previously, and didn’t have to give it to her this time, nor did I have to provide a phone number for her to pull up the associated address. “And will you be traveling to the airport?” Clearly they’d captured my mobile phone number on the inbound call, associated it with information from prior business I’d done with them and, just like that, delivered a superior customer service moment. Minor? Yes. But meaningful? Absolutely. Essentially, I was still a masked man. And yet, based on one bit of information, they saved my time and their time (and by extension, their money), and they delivered. Hi-yo, Silver, away!
All of us can cite experiences where companies have done a poor job leveraging information for marketing or customer service. But on the whole, the sophistication of the tools marketers use, and the overall effectiveness of those tools, continues to improve. One of the emerging areas of opportunity— and also of concern—is the ability to utilize “masked man” information in the digital world. Recent articles and news stories have done much to educate consumers, as well as to create fears about what companies know about individuals.
However, it is worth noting that most companies aren’t interested in knowing who someone is, per se, other than to associate “persona” information with him/her. What do I mean by that? I mean that they don’t care if, by name, it’s David Danziger, Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent on the other end of the computer screen, mobile phone, email or direct mail piece. They are actually interested in the types of information that will help them understand our respective needs and interests, so that they can reach us with the right services or offers via the right media. Male or female? Old or young? High income or low income? Homeowner or renter? Married or not? Children in household or not? Media preferences? Interest in ‘my’ kinds of products? Those are the kinds of things that businesses care about – the mechanisms of identity serve only as the link to those persona descriptors in which the marketer is most interested.
So, when the question is asked—“Who was that masked man, anyway?”—the most common answer from businesses is this: “We don’t care. We just need to know what he ‘looks like’ or if he ‘looks like he might be interested in’ what we’re selling. And then give us the tools to reach him.” Admittedly, it makes for a rotten catchphrase to end a television show. But balancing consumer privacy with effective marketing to the masked-man consumer is a meaningful silver bullet for any business hero.
David Danziger is director of data and targeting products at Acxiom Corp. He does not usually wear a mask and has not ridden a horse in over a decade.
